Virginia Beach, with state’s top-three ABC stores, opens a new one

ABC store at 1612 Laskin Road, the agency’s most profitable store, according to ABC’s annual report (Courtesy of abc.virginia.gov)

Virginia Beach is gaining gallons of bourbon, gin, vodka, tequila and more this week.

The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control will celebrate its 360th store today with the grand opening of a new outpost in Virginia Beach, located at 1340 N. Great Neck Rd. The 3,000 square-foot space is the city’s 15th ABC store, and will offer a range of almost 1,750 spirits, mixers and Virginia wines. The new location has five employees.

“Since the beginning of Governor Terry McAuliffe’s administration Virginia ABC has opened 19 new stores – eight in 2014, six in 2015 and five this year – including four premier locations that feature an enhanced layout and unique design,” a release said. “Virginia ABC plans to open additional stores based on market research, customer demand and available locations.”

Alan Rankin, bartender at Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub on Pacific Avenue, said most restaurant and bar owners at the Oceanfront purchase their alcohol at the ABC stores on 30th Street and Laskin Road. One of those, the store located at 1612 Laskin Rd., grossed the highest sales of any location in the state for fiscal year 2015, pulling in roughly $8.26 million, according to the agency’s 2015 annual report.

According to that report, the top-five highest grossing ABC stores in the state are:

Virginia Beach, 1612 Laskin Rd. – $8.26 million

Virginia Beach, 405 30th St. – $8.1 million

Virginia Beach, 3333 Virginia Beach Blvd. – $7.5 million

Fairfax County, 8413 Old Courthouse Rd. – $7 million

Alexandria City, 4312 Wheeler Ave. – $6.3 million

All Virginia business owners with an ABC license are required to purchase spirits from an ABC store. Each business is assigned a primary location for these purchases, based on proximity, according to Jennifer Guild, a media advisor with the agency. Restaurant and bar owners who wish to purchase alcohol for resale from the North Great Neck Road location may contact the store to adopt it as their primary purchase center, Guild said.

The Virginia ABC contributed more than $1.8 billion to the Commonwealth’s general fund in the last five years, according to a release.

“We are so excited to reach that milestone,” Guild said in a phone interview. “It really shows the growth we’ve been continuing since the McAuliffe administration began.”

The grand opening is Aug. 4 at 11 a.m. The first 100 customers will receive a free gift. Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran and ABC Board Chairman Jeffrey Painter will speak at the event.